We just had the best time at Epicurean for my birthday dinner! Â While we waited for our table we sat at the bar and the bartender was very helpful and informative. She allowed us to try samples before making our choices and talked with us while we waited. She suggested we try the Unibroue Maudite and we are so glad we did, what a delicious beer! Â The wine is fantastic as well. Our server, Michael, was warm and welcoming and made excellent recommendations. Â The food was phenomenal. After starting with the delicious cheese plate, I had the shrimp risotto with lobster and my fiance tried the ribeye with blue cheese sauce. Both were cooked to perfection (I have never had shrimp so tender) and we were both so impressed. Â The ambiance was wonderful - you definitely don't feel like you're in a strip mall! Â The piano player, soft lighting and friendly staff make you feel right at home. We can't wait to go back!
Review Source:Surprisingly busy on a Thursday evening. We decided to go here that afternoon and could only get reservations for the bar area - where the full menu is offered but the seating is less than optimal for dinner.
Entrees Mussels and quail. spinach on the side. Key lime 'pie'.
A bit on the pricey side as our light dinner of 2 entree's, one side, and one desert (no drinks or aps.) came to $75 all in.
Moules Marinières (Steamed P.E.I. Mussels with Shallots, Garlic & White Wine) - This was quite good. A decent portion size and includes fries on the side. Our waiter suggested putting the fries in the remaining liquid sauce to soak up some of the flavor which was a good idea.
Caille Rôtie, Sauce Chocolat Noir (Oven Roasted Semi-Boneless Quail
Served with Dark Chocolate-Cabernet Sauce, Wild Rice & Onion Confit) - A good dish but the quail was very small; about the size of a 4 year olds fist, maybe a 2 year old? Anyway, really small.
Tarte au Citron Vert - Key Lime Pie - This was a well presented and nicely done key lime 'pie' - a creamy lime filling. It is on the small side but artistically presented.
Biggest negative on the food: The entrees and spinach were heavy on the salt.
Service in the bar area was a bit slow and had a few minor misteps; our side order was 'forgotten' and brought to us after we finished our entrees - after we had written it off. Water glasses were not refilled until we requested it.
All i wanna say is food is just awesome I never tried french restaurant before but i love it. The food is pricy yes but the environment is really nice. Initially i though i was just a fancy restaurant with over price food. but i was wrong. Te duck confit is amazing! My friend ordered the cheese platter and she loves it!
ALso it is a nice dating place. will visit again.
After reading the other reviews, I expected to be under-served and not taken seriously because I'm younger than the typical "diner". Our waiter was a little stranger and I could barely hear what he was saying, but didn't feel judged. The food was absolutely delicious and the ambiance was even better. We had the rack of lamb and free range chicken, and both of them were cooked to perfection. I highly suggest the creme brulee. Overall, I would go to this bistro again but the only set back was how expensive it was.
Review Source:My business associate brought me to The Epicurean Bistro after promising me that we'd eat at the best French restaurant in the Capital Region. The restaurant is located in the Latham Farms Shopping Center on Troy-Schenectady Road (Route 7) which is just off exit 6 on the Northway.
The Epicurean Bistro sits in the middle of a long strip mall with a giant Home Depot on one end, and a big Sam's Club on the other end. Seems odd, but in the middle of things sits this classic French Bistro / Wine Bar / marketplace. One of the founding partners hails from Quebec, and their award-winning Executive Chef is a native of Central France.
The menu includes bistro staples like Cassoulet, Coq au Vin, Steak Tartare, Escargot, and Frog's Legs, which are prepared with fresh herbs and vegetables from the Chef's garden. Chef Dominique has made it a point to include a variety of vegetarian and gluten-free dishes on the seasonally changing Bistro menu.
For my dinner I started with a small house salad made of tossed mixed greens with warm goat cheese and Herbs de Provence, and served with 12-year old balsamic vinaigrette. That was served with a basket of freshly-baked slices of French bread served with a small plate of olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.
My main course was truite au cidre de pommes, which was sautéed whole trout served with an apple cider butter sauce, parsnip purée & autumn vegetables. The dish was light, delicious, and a very special treat.
Wine is served both by the glass and by the bottle to compliment the outstanding selections off the menu.
This is a terrific place for a quiet business meeting or a romantic dinner. Well worth a visit if you live in this area of the country.
Enjoyed wine and small plates with a friend on a Tuesday evening and found the service and wine to be excellent with the food very good. I was pleased to find such worldly cuisine hidden in Latham Farms, as I was visiting from out of town and wanted something other than Panera. The chef is from France and one owner hails from Montreal, so I felt like I was in good hands. I lived in Montreal for 4 years before moving out West.
There's a great variety of wine by the glass, from European to domestic offerings, even some Oregon Pinot Noirs which was a pleasant surprise. Overall, this is a great place to linger over a nice bottle of wine and enjoy classically French dishes.
The $16 cheese plate, which was reasonably priced due to the sheer portions of the cheese, was lacking in variety/goodies. It would have benefited from something more than fresh fruit and crustini. Something on the savory side, such as a tapenade or roasted garlic, might add interest.
The pomme frites were perfectly seasoned and tasty.
Unfortunately, the spinach strawberry jicama salad was a bit watered down by the shredded jicama which took away from the other flavors, and there was only one strawberry which appeared more as a garnish than a featured ingredient. The salad just seemed a little simple, although flavors were good, I expected more.
On my next visit, I look forward to sampling more of the menu.
Had to have some medical tests run in Latham, the kind where you can't eat or drink anything after midnight and didn't get done until almost noon. Â I wanted to find somewhere for lunch that wasn't part of a chain. Thanks to Yelp on my phone I decided to try the Epicurean.
When I walked in the door there was only one other group dining, a collection of rather elderly women who seemed to have the waitress (Rose) hopping. Â She settled me into a table close enough to them to keep an eye on me but far enough so I could dine in peace.
I had one of the lunch specials, a piece of quiche and a glass of wine. Â The quiche was a little salty for me but then I tend to use salt fairly sparingly but it was good with a buttery crust. It came with some salad that was lightly dressed with a good vinaigrette.
The meal was delicious, the service was great and I'll definitely be back.
Last weekend we wanted to go see the new restaurant that opened nearby after been bombarded with commercials for years before they were in the area. After walking away from the restaurant in disgust, I reached for Yelp to decide where to do.
I didn't think this would be my style, but DeAnna loved the idea of a French bistro. It was close, and I really had to visit the rest room, so we went. What a fabulous treat it turned out to be!
The place is beautiful. The areas are separated and decorated with such appeal it is refreshing to see. So many restaurants these days look the same. Epicurean has their own style.
We started with a bowl of gazpacho. Cool, refreshing, like it should be. So hard to believe they are able to get so many layers of flavor from something that isn't cooked. Both of us enjoyed it.
I ordered Le Norvégien, a wrap with smoked salmon and a sour cream caper sauce. I was expecting something reminiscent of a NYC bagel, but this could not be farther from what I was eating. Instead of a cool refreshing bite, it was a sour-spicey-creamy bite that I am struggling to describe. I must have totally missed the inclusion of hot sauce on the menu, because it caught me by surprise. Unlike anything I have had before and something I instantly knew I would look forward to having again.
DeAnna has a lardon salad. She loved the flavor, thought it should be a bit bigger. She eats so much rabbit food I don't think she's used to normal salad portions any more.
In all, a wonderful surprise. I expected stuffy and boring, but ended up with something unique and exciting. We will be back soon.
On a previous visit here just for drinks, we discovered an excellent value on fresh Bluepoint oysters - a dozen for $18 ($12 for a half-dozen). Â Being more of a wine destination, the beer taps were limited to two. Â I don't recall what I had that evening, but I know it was a craft brew while others enjoyed their glasses of wine. Â Service from the bar was excellent, but it could have also been the result of the bartender knowing a member of our party (another bartender). Â Glancing at the menu, we made a mental note to return.
The occasion for this return visit was sort of a christening celebration so it called out for a nice dinner. Â There were not many other customers when we arrived at about 6:30 on a Wednesday. Â A couple of tables on the sidewalk by the parking lot were occupied and it was an unseasonably comfortable evening, but we decided to dine indoors were the decor is very pleasant and inviting.
It was difficult passing up the oysters, but Sweetbreads Sautéed with Bay Scallops and Wild Mushrooms in a Cognac-Chablis Sauce were calling out to us from the list of small plates.  I should now mention the excellent service provided to us because after some initial and pleasant banter, we were advised that the sweetbreads dish might not be one of their more successful preparations based upon how clean the plates were whenever a table was cleared of that dish.  But that was simply a greater challenge for us since we've previously enjoyed our share of sweetbreads.  Unfortunately, our server had to return and ask us for a second choice; the dish was not available tonight.
Champignons Sauvages, Escargots & Lardons en Croûte á l'Alsacienne ~ Wild Mushrooms, Snails, Bacon & Caraway in a Pinot Blanc-Cream Sauce with a Puff Pastry ($14) moved up from second place and turned out to be a winner.  All the flavors blended well together, the tiny bits of bacon did not overpower the other ingredients.  The dish also paired nicely with both my wife's Hecht & Bannier Minervois ($12.50) a syrah blend, and my Dogfish Head IPA ($6).
We were told that the menu is updated quarterly, and a special menu highlighting different regions of France changes monthly. Â A Normandy menu listed a Grilled Veal Chop ($30) that appealed to my wife. Â It was a very generous cut with seasonal vegetables. Â I don't recall the exact preparation, but it was the better of our two entrees as the chop was tender, moist and full of flavor.
My choice was a combination of two items I am frequently drawn to.  Duo de Coquilles St-Jacques & Aiguillettes de Canard ~ Duo of Scallops and Duck Filet with Merlot-Raspberry Balsamic Reduction ~ Served with Sautéed Greens and Julienne Vegetables ($30).  The preparation was very appealing.  Three perfectly cooked scallops set on top of three rolled filets filled with the greens.  This was not the best duck that I've had, but the mix of flavors and textures was very nice.  The duck seemed to be cooked a bit more than necessary so it was drier than I would have liked.
We finished off with a decent, Classic Crème Brûlée ($7) and some coffee and a cappuccino that we apparently were not charged for.  The coffee was not hot, just warm, but my cappuccino was nice and hot.  The owner had brought the coffee and cappuccino to us because our amicable server was kept very busy trying to serve tables both inside and outside. Â
Overall, a very enjoyable meal and experience. Â I expect we'll be returning and hopefully our server, Josh, will be available again.
I have been to this location when it was under previous ownership and I have to say I found the previous ownership to be much more accommodating. Â The food was adequate; however, any request for modification was met with resistance (i.e: my mother: no extra salt, my dad: easy on the garlic, me: can i substitute at cost just scallops rather than scallops and shrimp? the waiter made a lot of faces when we got specific...i don't know when entrees cost $30+ dollars there should be no face making, but a confident "of course!").
I did get a shrimp and scallop dish and the scallops were good, but I don't like shrimp so 4 scallops didn't really do much for me and the sauces (white wine and red wine sauces) were on the gritty side; the sauteed spinach and garlic was very good. Â The menu does clearly label what is gluten free which is a plus for the population that must refrain from eating gluten. Â
Additionally, this is a restaurant that has a menu that changes seasonally. Â It should be more in tuned to the fact that it is Lent and have more than 2 choices for non-meat on a Friday that isn't just pasta and veggies (ie fish). Â
All-in-all it was ok, but i don't think I would go there again if I was paying for my own meal.
I love the Epicurean. It's my go to "date night" spot with the boy if I'm looking for a white-linen type of night out. The interior has high ceilings, warm lighting, and comfy seats.
The food they serve is great- every flavor element of a dish is in harmony with the other. When they have set dinner nights (food & drink samplings) the pairings are great, and worth the money. They try to encourage a community atmosphere on pairing nights, so you share tables with others (this is a nod to their earlier space on Rt 7 in Troy).
One of my favorite dishes is the steak tartare - so meaty, savory, and delicious. They also understand rare - rare beef comes out rare, not medium-rare or medium. It is a glorious steak to enjoy.
Service can be iffy unless Sandy (one of the owners) is waiting on you. He is the epitome of FOH - welcoming, knowledgeable (seriously, his food + wine pairings are great), and genuinely nice. The other staff can be surprisingly oblivious to basic menu questions (one server who has been there for a while told me something was vegetarian, and I later found out that it was meat-central. No biggie for me, an omnivore, but if I were a vegetarian that could have been bad news) and give service below par for this type of restaurant. Recent visits have been better than past in terms of service.
They also do lunch during the weekday - I keep meaning to check that out.
They are kid-friendly here at all times. Really welcoming to the youngster with an interest beyond burgers and grilled cheese. They've also started doing brunch on Saturdays! Go get their brunch. Perfectly cooked eggs.
This place is so good I went two Saturdays in a row! Â The first week I had the dill cured salmon wrap and the butternut squash soup. My companions had the crepe special. Â We all agreed our meals were great. Â This week I had the Italian sandwich. Â The basil pesto and fresh mozzarella were fantastic together. Â The service is very friendly and relaxed. Â Epicurean isn't a typical suburban strip mall eatery-try it when you need a break from your holiday shopping.
Review Source:What an fantastic experience! My dining partner and I visited The Epicurean on a whim Saturday 7/31/11 and are so glad we did.
We started with the house salad (Petite Salade Maison). The dressing was excellent and the greens were very fresh.
For my entree, I chose the Pork medallions (Médaillons de Porc Flambé au Calvados) which was served with a wonderful potato gratin and apple chutney. It was perhaps one of the best pork dishes I have ever had in my life. If not the best.
My partner chose the stuffed chicken breast (Suprême de Poulet) that was served with fingerling potatoes & zucchini gratin. He said the chicken was excellent but the potato side was just ok. However, the main entree more than made up for them. The white Chablis sauce over the chicken was out of this world.
We split an order of the Key Lime Pie for desert. It was just enough and simply fabulous.
We also enjoyed the Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. AMAZING!!!
Do yourself a favor and check out this place. The total cost for everything including drinks, desert, tax...was $100.
My husband and I ate lunch here on a Thursday. The service was friendly and not overbearing or rushed.
We had the artisan cheese plate appetizer which was very delicious. I had the camembert sandwich with a lentil salad and he had a chicken dish with french fries. I loved the sandwich - very fresh and simple, my favorite. I did not particularly enjoy the lentil salad, but I think that's because it was just not my taste. My husband loved his dish and raved about the french fries. The fresh prepared ketchup was a nice touch.
For an appetizer, a sandwich & an entree the total, with tip, was about $50. It was well worth it.
The husband and I came here for his birthday dinner. Â The service and atmosphere earned five stars without question. Â The food was very good, but I think I need to adjust to the French cuisine thing. Â I'll admit this is not a type of food that I'm very familiar with, and my entree wasn't exactly what I expected -- although not necessarily due to any fault of the restaurant's. Â
So, I'll give you the run down of our evening. Â We were greeted and seated promptly. Â It was 6:30 on a Friday; there were several people at the bar when we arrived, and only a few other parties in the dining room. Â Several courses and two hours later, the dining room was full. Â
Our waitress was very attentive and pleasant throughout the night without being at all overbearing. Â She was one of only two wait staff working, and they were busting their butts. Â I was impressed.
I was a little surprised that we weren't offered a full wine menu, this being a wine bar and all. Â There was a short menu on the table of approximately five whites and five reds available by the glass, and since we decided we didn't want a full bottle anyway, we ordered off this menu. Â
The meal started with some complimentary French bread, which was soft inside with a chewy crust and served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping... my favorite. Â
Next, lobster bisque for me -see picture- and a spinach salad for him (specifically - salade d'epinard aux amandes, oranges & avocado). Â Both were very good. Â
We shared the salmon gravlax appetizer (a special), which included capers and a touch of caviar -pic-. Â This was excellent. Â
For entrees, I had the coq au vin and he tried the daube de bison -pics-. Â Husband and I both agreed that the entrees were very rich and heavy. Â The flavor was good but I found myself needing to drink a lot of water during the meal. Â There were also a lot of bones in my dish; although I'm sure based upon their size that they were supposed to be there, some small ones passed through the screening process and made it into my mouth. Â
We ended our meal with cappuccinos and key lime pie -pics-. Â I initially thought the dessert was on the small side, but it turned out to be very dense; it was super delicious and just the right size. Â
Our large meal (two glasses of wine, a soup, a salad, an app, two entrees, two desserts and two cappuccinos) came to $130 plus tip. Â Not too shabby. Â
Another note about the impressive service: at one point, Husband went to use the restroom and left his napkin on his chair. Â The waitress saw him get up and came over to re-fold the napkin, placing it neatly on the table in front of his seat. Â Wow. Â
So, overall we had a very nice experience at the EB. Â I love the ambiance here; it's comfortable yet very classy without being pretentious. Â Soft jazz music, dim lighting and a candle on each table. Â We'll be back, but next time I'll have to ask the waitress for a lighter entree suggestion. Â Perhaps something off the vegetarian menu?
I eat here regularly, but not often. Â It's out of the way for me. Â The new Cassoulet with the roast goose, lamb stew and garlic sausage is terrific. Â The fresh seared fois gras was in a delicious seared grape and port wine reduction. Â
The half bottle of Château Lalande-Borie 2007 was a perfect combination with the rich entrees.
A great meal for the capital region for $120.
___________
I went back for dinner. Â My salmon rillette was very good, but I like the sweetbread more. Â We had cassoulet. Â It had leg of duck confit, a lamb chop and sausage. Â My lamb and sausage were undercooked, but the other was perfect. Â The taste was very very good, but it was not a stand out.
I got my creme brule and it was delicious. The caramelized sugar on top was too thick for my preference, but did not detract from the enjoyment. Â
We had a bottle of St. Emilion, I believe 2005 and it was $42, had good fruit and nice chewy tannins, It was really enjoyable pairing with the entree.
I love double espresso with coffee to the top and theirs was a little nuttier than usual, and frankly terrific.
The service was disjointed, slightly too informal, but not distracting or annoying. Â
Once again, we got what we expected, an adult, french restaurant with skills and a well thought out menu. The kitchen does need more attention to detail at full adult prices. Â But, I've eaten thousands of meals in french restaurants, here and in France and I don't expect perfection. Â That costs $500 a plate and is generally found in Michelin 3 star restaurants. Â $100 a plate buys delicious food with professional service and enjoyable atmosphere. Â This is it.
This time the tab was $200 with the tip. Â They'll be plenty of return visits for me.
Four of us went last night for the first time, we actually were not aware that it was no longer Vin Santos...... We were pleasantly surprised. the place became very busy once we were seated but the service and the food were wonderful. Our husbands both ordered the tuna which was  delicious, My steak had an amazing blue cheese sauce served on the side that was mouthwatering,  and my friend ordered a chicken special stuffed with brie that was also really nice. The waitress even selected a second bottle of wine to complement our meals as we had finished off the first one with the yummy cheese plate! ..... creme brulee also great. We told our waitress how much we enjoyed everything  and were told about a new menu coming soon...... we will definitely return
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